Researcher-established company Xiphera growing rapidly

Its two founders met in the beginning of the 2000s when Kimmo Järvinen was completing his special project as a summer job in the Signal Technology Laboratory at the Helsinki University of Technology and Matti Tommiska supervised this work. Later, Tommiska also supervised Järvinen’s master’s thesis. After this, Tommiska moved on to work for industry and completed his doctoral thesis.

Järvinen completed his own doctoral thesis in the same laboratory and stayed on as a researcher at Aalto University for several years, after which he spent nearly two years in Belgium, and at the company’s start-up stage worked at the University of Helsinki.

"Even so, we kept in touch. Matti had noted when working in industry that companies are interested in a solution related to our research. It sounded like a sensible idea to set up a company based on the competence I’d gained during a 15-year career as a researcher. Our business concept has remained the same from the very start, i.e. selling products that our customers use to implement cryptographic functions using digital logic.”

Founded by two Doctors of Science in Technology, the company specialises in hardware-based cryptography, i.e. the encryption and protection of data using mathematical calculation methods. The solutions are widely utilised in various sectors of industry. 

“We got sales up and running quickly and have grown through customer projects. We have a large number of our own products. Our product development is continuous. Especially in the early stages, we also provided consultation services to support the sales of early products, but after this we have focused on our own product development.”

The company’s business concept was refined in the business incubator

When the company was established in the summer of 2017, the duo headed nearly immediately to the Aalto Startup Center. 

“The location of the Aalto Startup Center was optimal for us. We were able to get a room at Otakaari 5 in A Grid. We had sparring sessions there, the results of which can still be seen to this day. We were in close contact with Business Consultant Bengt Forsström, who gave us advice on running a company. At the same time, I worked parttime at the university in teaching tasks.”

Matti Tommiska (D.Sc. (Tech.)) heads the company’s operative activities as CEO, and Kimmo Järvinen, (D.Sc. (Tech.)), is responsible for the company’s product development as CTO. 

“It has come as a surprise to us how important the space sector has become for Xiphera. This has been one of the most important positive surprises.”

The European Space Agency’s Business Incubation Centre in Finland (ESA BIC Finland) was also established at Aalto University in 2017. It operates as part of the Aalto Startup Center and helps companies in their early stage find and utilise opportunities in space business. In 2026, 44 companies have already participated in the incubation centre programme.

Growth picked up rapidly

The entire premise of the company was that it would be an international one. The majority of it approximately EUR 2.5 million turnover comes from the main market areas of Europe and North America. We have partnering companies around the world that sell our products. In addition, the sales team attends important fairs and customer meetings. 

“Our customers operate in sectors that are critical from the perspective of information security, where content related to defence technology is processed or data must be transferred at a fast pace in data networks.”

The company has grown from a two-man company to a company with 14 experts.

“We recruited our first employee approximately 2-3 years after the company was established. Since then, we’ve employed 1-2 new people each year. Our principle is to get new employees trained and inducted in unhurried manner and recruit new people at a controlled pace so that our growth remains profitable.”

Entrepreneurship highlights a researcher’s work

Kimmo Järvinen encourages other researchers to consider entrepreneurship as an alternative career. 

“In my opinion, a research work is good training for entrepreneurship. However, when a researcher advances in their career, they themselves must apply for funding for their work.” 

Järvinen muses that one aspect of a researcher’s work is that it gives one the opportunity to focus on interesting things without having to consider whether they are marketable. 

"Yes, there are similarities with entrepreneurship. As an entrepreneur, income comes in the form of several streams from numerous customers. An entrepreneur can see in concrete terms how their own work is used in practice. This adds meaningfulness to the work.”

His own path as an entrepreneur has given Kimmo Järvinen what he expected and more. Xiphera became a growth company with a broad-scoped, globally interesting product range.

“Over a period of nine years, we have been able to build something of our own, and the company has grown into one that employs more than 10 people. We have had the opportunity to be involved in important work and develop products for which there is demand. Xiphera is continuing to grow."